1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to lighting and signal warning devices, and more specifically to an improved pedestrian crosswalk signal apparatus.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Current pedestrian crosswalk designations are inadequate for many locations and lighting conditions. For example, stripes painted on the surface of the pavement are difficult to see even under optimum circumstances, and crosswalk caution signs are all too often lost in the background clutter of business signs, buildings, and temporarily parked delivery trucks and vans. Street lighting systems and traffic signals are useful to help designate crosswalk locations, but these can be extremely expensive to install and maintain and, therefore, are reserved for only the busiest locations.
Although pedestrian safety concerns are usually associated with young people, a recent analysis of pedestrian/vehicle collisions which resulted in either serious injury or death has determined that elderly or developmentally disabled individuals were the highest risk groups, even though they were using a crosswalk appropriately when struck. It is therefore apparent that an improved system needs to be developed for alerting traffic to the presence of a pedestrian in a crosswalk.
Some devices have been developed in an attempt to address this problem. For example, Ogle U.S. Pat. No. 5,406,276 provides a cross-walk warning light system which detects a pedestrian entering the cross-walk and activates a light which is aimed across the intersection, so that an approaching driver might see this beam of light and be warned of the presence of the pedestrian. However, this system directs light parallel to the crosswalk, i.e., perpendicular to the roadway and along the pedestrian""s path of movement, and thus is designed to illuminate the pedestrian (and/or airborne particulate matter in the ambient air). This may be problematic in that only a portion of the light may actually be seen by the driver of the approaching vehicle. Furthermore, in this system the lights themselves are carried on support poles located on the sidewalks adjacent to the roadway. Thus, the light emanates from the sides of the roadway, and not in the roadway directly in front of the driver, further reducing the likelihood that the light will be seen by an approaching driver.
The pedestrian crosswalk signal apparatus of this invention provides a low-cost traffic warning system which is self-contained, easily retrofitted to existing crosswalk locations and designed to alert approaching vehicle traffic to the presence of a pedestrian in a crosswalk. The inventive system includes a plurality of above-pavement, surface mounted lights, installed in a fashion similar to currently used road reflectors, and which are partially embedded in a roadway and placed across the roadway, e.g., adjacent to and parallel with the existing stripes designating a crosswalk, and constructed so that they are impervious to vehicle traffic over them. The lights are activated by the pedestrian, either by manual switch or by sensor, before he or she enters the crosswalk. Once activated, the lights flash in the direction of oncoming traffic, and emanate directly from the roadway, to warn drivers of approaching vehicles that a pedestrian may have entered the crosswalk, and that caution should be exercised.
The warning lights may be installed facing only the oncoming traffic, or across the entire length of the crosswalk, or in any other manner. When actuated, the system can flash the lights in a sequence to be determined, warning oncoming traffic of the pedestrian entering the crosswalk. The lights will remain flashing until the pedestrian has safely exited the crosswalk. The timing sequence can be similar to existing cycles used in wait-walk signal applications.
A switch can be provided on both sides of the street to allow activation of the system by a pedestrian. The switches can be a mechanical pole-mounted design, or proximity actuated switches (e.g., infrared sensors), or any other type of activation device.
The level of illumination can be designed to conform with existing illumination standards for traffic control devices and further modified for either daytime or nighttime use. An ambient light sensing circuit may be provided to adjust light intensity to dynamically compensate for poor visibility and night operating conditions.
The inventive apparatus can include data storage circuitry to collect additional data such as the number of pedestrians activating the apparatus, the direction of travel by the pedestrian and the number of vehicles approaching or passing over the apparatus by time of day. The inventive system may include report generation capability which can be useful in determining how frequently the crosswalk is used and the heavy or light usage time periods. These capabilities can be expanded to include other data which the system owner may find useful in preparing future strategies.
While initially envisioned for use exclusively along crosswalks at uncontrolled intersections, the inventive apparatus may have application at controlled intersections.
The inventive system can be installed virtually anywhere standard crosswalk markings are deemed to be ineffective, or where the installation problems of high cost traffic signals are impractical. The use of surface mounted lights afford minimal impact to the existing roadway or surface, which keeps installation simple and cost effective.
The inventive system can be conventionally powered (e.g., from existing overhead or underground power lines) or solar powered for stand-alone applications. For example, the lighting system may be powered by a twelve volt power source consisting of a solar panel, maintenance free battery and a charging circuit. The system may utilize proven solar technology to allow stand alone operation, thus eliminating the need for existing electrical power at the installation site. A pole mounted solar panel provides all the necessary power for operating the system while a maintenance free battery provides backup power during night or low light conditions. The solar panel can be sized to ensure adequate current to power the lighting system while charging the maintenance free battery during daylight hours. The maintenance free battery can be sized to ensure adequate reserve current to power the lighting system during night time hours when the solar panel is not in operation.
A main control unit consisting of a single board computer can be provided to control all operation of the lighting system. The main control unit may perform the following functions:
scan the switches for input by a pedestrian requiring the system to be activated;
adjust the brightness of the lighting system;
deactivate the lighting system after a preset time has expired, placing the system in stand-by mode;
monitor the condition of the maintenance free battery and charging system;
monitor all parameters of the lighting system for fault detection; and
maintain a log of times and frequency of activations for report generating.
Additional safety features can be added to expand the capabilities of the system, allowing an increased level of security for the pedestrian. These features can be installed with the basic system or added to the system as future expansion requires. For example:
Sensor
A sensor (e.g., ultrasonic, microwave, laser, or other) connected to the system and mounted upstream of the crosswalk can be used to measure the relative speed of traffic approaching the crosswalk and set off an audible alarm, if predetermined limits are exceeded, warning the pedestrian of impending danger. This feature is anticipated to calculate an approaching vehicle""s speed and distance, and sound an audible alarm should the computer determine that the vehicle""s current speed indicates that the safety of the crosswalk may be violated. The audible alarm can be a spoken message or a simple audible beep, delivered at such a rate and volume as to get the attention of the pedestrian. The ultrasonic sensor may be connected to the main control unit to allow logging of exceeded limit events for use in the main control unit""s report generator.
Remote Control
The inventive system may be capable of being controlled remotely by the addition of a communications module. This feature would allow the system to be turned on or off and monitored for general faults by use of either radio or cellular communication. This ability may be useful in cases where the system is used in other applications such as identification of roads and off ramps in impaired visibility areas. In such cases the system could be switched on by the appropriately designated agency(e.g., police, fire, public works, etc.) by a handheld device, from within a passing vehicle, or by long range signalling from a central location when conditions warrant.
Vehicle Signal
A further option would be to install a system by which a signal would be broadcast when the crosswalk signal apparatus was activated and which would be received by a device installed in a vehicle (retrofit to the vehicle, or eventually factory installed) to audibly and/or visually alert the driver of the vehicle that a user has activated the crosswalk system. This could more easily alert the driver to the presence of the crossing pedestrian.
The pedestrian crosswalk signal apparatus of this invention thus provides citizens a low cost and improved degree of personal safety while crossing private or public roadways.